River's Edge Urban Academy

Homeschooling 4 kids ages 9, 6, 4 and baby while working as a postpartum nurse and lactation counselor.

Friday, January 30, 2004

Well, it's been a few days since I have blogged and they have been good ones. I only have about ten minutes here so I will just mention the high points of each day. Overall, it has been a very good week for "sibling relations" and the kids have had a great morning here so far just playing with each other. I worked last night so we have taken it slow this morning. We also are not venturing outdoors since it was -20 when I woke up and is now just trying to make it to -10. I am planning to catch up on housework and do a Calvert Lesson (All caught up WOOHOO) with Joss.
Reading update: She is doing great! Since I still haven't checked out any new books from the library (they drastically cut their hours due to budget cuts and it is very hard for us to get there now)it is getting hard to satisfy her newly awakened appetite for reading. We have been reading our regular storybooks together and having her follow along and read the words that I know she is capable while I read the words that I think would just frustrate her. She could do this for much longer than I am able to and so goes off to work her way through stories that I don't think she can read. Now it helps that these are loved and favorite books that she totally knows the storyline of, but she does a great job of sounding out and guessing words by the context. Okay, I am obviously a proud mom, but it is just sooo exciting to watch her learn this! It is such a life-changing event to learn to read and I can see that she will probably follow in my footsteps of being an avid reader. Such a good thing for a homeschooled kid to be!
ANYWAY! Zeff has been very quiet and cuddly today, I have a feeling we are coming down with another round of colds here!! Baby still has a bit of a runny nose.
Thursday started out with playgroup. It took a good half hour just to get every kid dressed and bundled up for the -12 degree weather yesterday but it was worth it to get out of the house and play with friends. Once we came home though it was a mad dash to get myself ready for work and squeeze in an almost full Calvert lesson. I left 3 assignments for J to do with daddy and they did 2 of them. They also played dominoes, candyland ("Guess who won, Mommy! Your husband!") and worked on her invention so I can't complain.
Wednesday was another freezing cold day, but we braved it to attend our preschool cooperative. I am very glad to be participating in it as I feel that it is very important that Zeff have an activity that is for him since he is frequently carted along for Jossy's activities. I felt frustrated this week though, as he falls back into some of his more difficult behavior when we are there. Despite becoming more obedient at home, he ran away from the table during the lesson and refused to return. It took quite a bit of reasoning with him to talk him into coming back. Once back he stayed for 2 minutes and then took off again. I think he is just not able to focus as long when there is so much else to see and do. I am struggling with how to handle this. On one hand I feel that he may just not be developmentally ready to sit at a table and listen to a story when there are other activities going on (ie older children playing something else) so it is not fair to expect him to sit through the whole thing. On the other hand, I feel that he needs to show respect for the person who prepared the lesson. He also needs to respect the rule that we are not going to be playing in other parts of the house when we are supposed to be where the lesson is. My last concern about letting him leave the lesson is that it doesn't seem fair to the other children.
Well as usual writing things out helps to clarify how I feel about an issue. It seems to me that I am dealing with a developmental thing, and despite the points about showing respect for the house rules and lesson presenter, I cannot demand he do something he is incapable of. I think I will continue to encourage and expect him to participate in the lesson, if he is unable to sit at the table I will allow him to play with the older children knowing that he is probably still listening and learning.
It was also only our second meeting, I expect that as time goes on he will grow to understand the expectations better and will continue to mature and be more able to meet them

Well, it's been a few days since I have blogged and they have been good ones. I only have about ten minutes here so I will just mention the high points of each day. Overall, it has been a very good week for "sibling relations" and the kids have had a great morning here so far just playing with each other. I worked last night so we have taken it slow this morning. We also are not venturing outdoors since it was -20 when I woke up and is now just trying to make it to -10. I am planning to catch up on housework and do a Calvert Lesson (All caught up WOOHOO) with Joss.
Reading update: She is doing great! Since I still haven't checked out any new books from the library (they drastically cut their hours due to budget cuts and it is very hard for us to get there now)it is getting hard to satisfy her newly awakened appetite for reading. We have been reading our regular storybooks together and having her follow along and read the words that I know she is capable while I read the words that I think would just frustrate her. She could do this for much longer than I am able to and so goes off to work her way through stories that I don't think she can read. Now it helps that these are loved and favorite books that she totally knows the storyline of, but she does a great job of sounding out and guessing words by the context. Okay, I am obviously a proud mom, but it is just sooo exciting to watch her learn this! It is such a life-changing event to learn to read and I can see that she will probably follow in my footsteps of being an avid reader. Such a good thing for a homeschooled kid to be!
ANYWAY! Zeff has been very quiet and cuddly today, I have a feeling we are coming down with another round of colds here!! Baby still has a bit of a runny nose.
Thursday started out with playgroup. It took a good half hour just to get every kid dressed and bundled up for the -12 degree weather yesterday but it was worth it to get out of the house and play with friends. Once we came home though it was a mad dash to get myself ready for work and squeeze in an almost full Calvert lesson. I left 3 assignments for J to do with daddy and they did 2 of them. They also played dominoes, candyland ("Guess who won, Mommy! Your husband!") and worked on her invention so I can't complain.
Wednesday was another freezing cold day, but we braved it to attend our preschool cooperative. I am very glad to be participating in it as I feel that it is very important that Zeff have an activity that is for him since he is frequently carted along for Jossy's activities. I felt frustrated this week though, as he falls back into some of his more difficult behavior when we are there. Despite becoming more obedient at home, he ran away from the table during the lesson and refused to return. It took quite a bit of reasoning with him to talk him into coming back. Once back he stayed for 2 minutes and then took off again. I think he is just not able to focus as long when there is so much else to see and do. I am struggling with how to handle this. On one hand I feel that he may just not be developmentally ready to sit at a table and listen to a story when there are other activities going on (ie older children playing something else) so it is not fair to expect him to sit through the whole thing. On the other hand, I feel that he needs to show respect for the person who prepared the lesson. He also needs to respect the rule that we are not going to be playing in other parts of the house when we are supposed to be where the lesson is. My last concern about letting him leave the lesson is that it doesn't seem fair to the other children.
Well as usual writing things out helps to clarify how I feel about an issue. It seems to me that I am dealing with a developmental thing, and despite the points about showing respect for the house rules and lesson presenter, I cannot demand he do something he is incapable of. I think I will continue to encourage and expect him to participate in the lesson, if he is unable to sit at the table I will allow him to play with the older children knowing that he is probably still listening and learning.
It was also only our second meeting, I expect that as time goes on he will grow to understand the expectations better and will continue to mature and be more able to meet them

Tuesday, January 27, 2004

Just a few quick notes about our day. Well, after a leisurely start we headed to ceramics class. After last week's dejection over not having a friend (on the first day) Jossy made two pots and one friend today! At her request we stayed at the park building and had such a nice time we will do it again. I had hoped we could play outside, but it was a little chillier than I was comfortable having the baby out in for long time, this morning. So we brought some books, some trucks and a snack. Zeff and I had a great time reading together while Joss was in class. He really enjoyed the 1:1 time with mom(baby slept the whole time). We also played basketball and I don't mind saying that I did win (yes, against the two year old).
After ceramics we raced home to meet Uncle Jon. He leaves for deployment in a little over a week so we had our private goodbye celebration with him today. To celebrate, we went to Mickey's Diner in St. Paul and then went to the Ice Palace. It was pretty but still cold so we didn't stay too long.
We came home and sat down to do school since we hadn't gotten to it. Well, in future I will just call it a lost day and try to make up the next day. After a pretty full day, today, Joss just didn't have the patience left in her to do her best. It was pulling teeth to finish. We are now very close to being caught up though and by the end of this week should be all on one lesson.
Well outta time, hope to blog more tomorrow.

Well I am actually up and dressed at 8:15am! The kids and I played outside yesterday and I was worn out! As soon as we got the kids to bed we started getting ready for bed last night! I even have the middle boy fed and dressed; baby and big sis are sleeping so I have a moment to myself.
Yesterday was great! We started the day very low-key. In the morning, the kids just played while I did housework. I am always tired (and a wee bit grouchy) the Monday after I work since I don't get home till past midnight and usually can't get to sleep before 1:30. Rather than starting school right away and infecting the kids with my grouchies, I just let them play once they were dressed and cleaned up and I got all my chores for the day (and the ones I neglected over the wknd) done before lunch. Joss spent a very long time working on her invention for the Creative Kidstuff Invention Contest, I certainly couldn't tell you what it is and I am not sure she could either but it looks complicated! Lots of pipecleaners, yarn, tape and small cardboard containers.
After lunch we had a very good day of school (1.75 LA lessons and .5 Math - only 2 lessons apart now!) We have instituted a 10 minute recess (by the timer) during our school day. I resisted it because I thought it would be too hard to get her back to work, but she really does benefit from it and enjoys being able to decide at what point (I give her a choice between two) she will start it at.
Her reading is coming along by leaps and bounds. She is getting quite good at sounding out all CVC words and is getting more adept at figuring other words out by the context. I will be trying to pick up our pace with Calvert as we are now at a point where neither the phonics nor the math are very challenging.
After our school was done, supper in the crockpot and cookies baked (just call me Suzy Homemaker) and we had our afternoon snack we got everyone bundled up (20 minutes, easily) and headed out into the snowstorm. We got at least six inches and it looks gorgeous! We walked to the corner store for chips and sour cream for on top of our enchilada casserole as well as milk and bananas since we weren't going to brave the roads to hit the grocery store. The kids took turns pulling each other on the sled and baby rode inside my jacket and sweater in the fleece sling with his snowsuit and a sweatsuit underneath.
When we got home I couldn't persuade the kids to come inside so I let them play outside. Zeff got cold after 20 minutes but Joss played outside for well over an hour till it was getting dark and I had to force her to come in. She is my little artist and was using the snow as if she had a yard full of modeling clay! She made cakes with sticks and leaves for decorations and I really don't know what all, but she was very busy.
Well, we had a very nice evening as a family. Spent about 45 minutes with all of us on the couch after supper playing Simpson's Hit and Run on the Xbox. It is very funny and we just turn the sound way down so the kids can't hear some of the off color (though quite funny) comments. The kids have a great time crashing the cars and collecting enough coins to dress homer in silly outfits.
For our bedtime snack, the kids and I made and ate snow ice cream. We gathered snow by putting a clean bowl outside in the morning and collecting the falling snow all day. We then mixed milk, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon together. Now it tastes okay, it is really a far cry from ice cream, but the kids loved it! It also reminded me of how my brother and I used to make it all the time. Since my baby bro is going to Afghanistan in a few weeks this was especially poignant.
After baths and stories the kids quite gratefully went to bed, they were whipped after playing in the snow! Here's hoping today is a nice one too, for us and anyone out there reading this!

Friday, January 23, 2004

Another great day. Well, from Keian's point of view it probably did not start so great. We went to his 4 month checkup this morning and he got four shots! He is just like his brother, long and lean, 50% for weight and head circumference and 90% for length (height). While we were there, Joss read me a Dr. Suess easy reader. We came home after and the kids had a 1/2 hour or so of imaginative play. Again they were playing quite nicely.
After lunch we decided to go out into the new snow for a walk. We haven't been out much lately since it has been very bitterly cold just lately, and we haven't gotten any snow since before Christmas and it was looking very brown and ugly outside. On our walk we saw bunny tracks and spent a fair amount of time examining snowflakes as it was just the perfect kind of snow to get good flakes (light and fluffy, without much wind to mess them up). We went farther than we usually do on our walks and it was good exercise. Before we left Joss and I spent some more time categorizing coins and discussing their values. This time, we put our homework to good use and counted up enough money to get treats at our corner store! Our neighborhood shopkeeper is a nice guy and was very patient as we counted out the exact amount ($3.20) in change from her purse.
On the way home we made snow angels (in other people's yards - hope they don't mind!) and found a piece of mail on the ground. Now, I teach my kids not to litter, but I am not too big a fan of picking up other people's garbage off the ground. This was not just junk mail though. It was a hand addressed letter that must have fallen out of the mail carriers bag (he had just been around about an hour previous). We read the address, found it and delivered the mail. It was a fun little adventure for the kids, and I hope it teaches about doing the little things you can in the world to be kind.
We came home and I intended to squeeze a little (Calvert) school in, but by the time the kids had warmed up it was time for Joss to pack to spend the night at Grandma's.
Other than a little assistance choosing an (appropriate) outfit for the next day, J packed all by herself. It was so cute watching her mutter to herself as she folded everything (including undies - I do not know where she got that) and packed her suitcase.
Zeff was heartbroken of course, about her leaving. He did perk up though when I pointed out that he would get TWO stories at bedtime since she was gone. He is actually sleeping in her bed right now - taking full advantage of the situation! Joss called this evening to talk to us from her grandparent's cell phone at the Ice Palace. She asked to talk to Zeff and the had the cutest conversation. She told him she was at the ice palace and it was beautiful. He asked if it had any flags. Then they asked each other what they had for supper. Then Joss said "okay bye Zeff, I love you" and he said "love you too, Jossy." I was literally crying listening in on them. They are so precious!
Well, it is my 6 year wedding anniversary tonight so I should get back to the dh. Hope everyone reading this is doing well and is as happy and blessed as I am.

Thursday, January 22, 2004

Darn, it was an idyllic day and I actually thought I could sit down and blog and suddenly the kids started fighting and the baby started crying all at the same time! Anyway, we are all better now, but it is kind of uncanny how they never need me until I am busy with something else!
A very nice day so far. Zeff ran a temp and seemed to really be getting sick last night, however this am he is just grumpy with a runny green nose. Not really sick, but having a hard day anyway. So, we missed playgroup and it did give me the opportunity to make up for not getting any Calvert school done yesterday (it was quite a busy day). We did Reading (coming along FABULOUS, She read another phonics reader to me last night and is getting very fast at sounding out unfamiliar words), Science (very easy now that I am caught up!), Math (Chapter review - very easy, hoping next chapter is more challenging) and a recorder lesson. The recorder lesson is quite the carrot these days. School went very smoothly with the knowledge that recorder lesson would be held last, and only if she had been cooperative! I am scared to type it in black and white but her attitude has taken a 180 degree turn and she is back to her helpful, cheerful, respectful self with only rare lapses, chores are still an issue, but the backtalk and disrespect are gone and that was what I personally found most unacceptable.
TV has been off, other than 1 1/2 PBS shows this am while I slept in. I am re-reading "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood (I don't have it in front of me so that may not be exactly right). I am really enjoying it and stayed up late reading it, even though I was way overtired from the two nights previous.
We also had a fun little nature lesson I guess you could call it. They have these Audobon stuffed birds that make the accurate birdcall. We went over the names of each bird and practiced attempting to ID the calls. Then the big kids went off to play house with the birds.
The kids have been playing really well today. They are each others main playmates since we are home so much and they fight like most siblings I know. However, they also play really well together a good portion of the time and today has been great. They played for a LONG time that Joss was a baby and Zeff her big brother and he had to drive her in an ambulance to the hospital. Then it turned into him having to bring her every pillow in the house to pad the laundry basket that was her hospital bed. She is a very demanding baby! I would have been sick of her but Z really delighted in carrying out her every command. I had the hopeful thought that maybe that would influence him to be more obedient for me!
That's it for now, Zeff is actually calling me a baby right now so I must go deal with him. sigh

Tuesday, January 20, 2004

Well, I set out to edit a post I started last Friday, and was fortunately able to erase the paragraph lamenting my poor milk supply woes. Several days of dedicated frequent nursing, with the rare supplemental bottle and pumping got us back on track. Glad that is behind us and I have learned my lesson about trying to lose weight too fast. Mama has to eat to make plenty of milk - duh! And all the legislation in the world can't buy you time to pump if you are a nurse and your patients need you. :(
Regarding homeschooling, we are making good progress As of last Friday Science is caught up to reading (3 science lessons Thursday night after supper) and reading is closing in on math! We are on lesson 41 in LA and 45 in Math so I anticipate being on track by the end of January.
Behavior is not on track at all though. Zeff is making the two steps forward, one step back progress in his behavior that I am learning is par for the course with him. Hitting is much less frequent, name calling more so. The corner has made a comeback here, as well as posters with the kids names that get stickers for good things (going potty, doing as asked without complaint, etc.) Joss also has a "healthy habits chart" for personal hygeine and grooming that is helping with that stuff slightly. Anyways, time is very short today so I will discuss our discipline issues another time.
I wanted to post about some of the fun "unschooling" moments we had last Friday. We had a long discussion about calendars (completely led by Jossy's interest and questions) and Jossy really almost gets it now. She now has her own calendar that she has drawn pictures on to show when upcoming events are.
Zeff also started begging to go the the "old fashioned farm" (Oliver H Kelley historical farm) out of the clear blue sky. We went twice last summer and it was a major blast. However, I was not able to drop everything and take him, but did the next best thing. I googled the website and within minutes I was at their photo gallery page. I asked Zeff what he wanted to look at and he chose animals. We went through all the pictures and talked about the names of the baby animals as well as the proper names for the mommies and daddies of each species.
We had a busy, but nice family weekend. Unfortunately, Joss is now also going through some major behavioral turmoil and seems to have forgotten all our rules, as well as what an acceptable tone of voice is. Worse yet, she was showing everyone in the family major disrespect in her words and actions. Because that is one of the worst things she can do in my eyes, I came down very hard on her for every infraction of our rules but I really questioned if I was doing the right thing, because we were all very miserable for a few days there. She lost a major privilege on Saturday and nearly lost one on Sunday as well. However patience and consistency seem to be paying off. We have prayed together several times for help in having a "cheerful heart" and I think I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. After a rough start to our day she seems to be almost entirely back to her old self. I have made sure to acknowledge this good behavior, while not making a huge deal out of it, after all it is what I expect of her!
Yesterday was a complete wash for formal school but not without education as Joss spent the day with her grandma piecing together and helping to sew an outfit of her own creation! After a mad day of driving to grandma's and back home with about ten minutes to spare before I had to leave for work, I then proceeded to have a crappy shift that bothered me so much that I couldn't sleep until past 3am. I then started coughing and slept very fitfully until 8am when I gave up and got up for the day.
Joss started her first homeschool ceramics class. She said she didn't like it, but was very enthusiastic about sharing with us what she had learned. The main problem (I am thinking) is that she expects to instantly have friends and feels lonely if she doesn't. She has never had a problem making friends, and I reminded her of that. I also talked about classes I took in college where I never did make a friend, but instead learned alot about a cool subject. She seemed okay with that but still said she didn't want to go back. Well, I just paid $75 for the first five sessions and trust me, she is going!
After ceramics class we came home, had lunch and then got busy with school. She impressed both of us by how well she is doing with her reading. She is reading full sentences and getting faster and smoother with her sight words and those darn d,p,b lookalikes. For math it was one of our review lessons, where you have a choice of fun math activities and we decided to chart the different kinds of coins we had in our spare change mug. I think she is really understanding the concept of graphing and has the values of each coin down pat now. We even added up how much of each kind of coin we had!
After Math we got to the lesson that she had been anxiously waiting for - the recorder! Our good friend graciously lent us one, and I had picked up an Usborne book on learning the recorder from my all time favorite store, half-price books, and so we are working our way through it together. She loves music, and loves having an instrument to play. I appreciate the simplicity of the instrument, and with my 8 years of piano instruction I feel competent to teach it at a beginner level.
So Art, LA, Math and Music. Not a bad day of K if I do say so myself! Zeff and I have also been doing more informal preschool projects. Monday we cut out wheels from the newspaper and he glued them on construction paper, and counted them. We talked about the number 7 (that's how many) at the time and 3 or 4 times since and I think he is actually recognizing the number 7! He also recognizes his name on the paper and is very proud of his work. Tomorrow morning is his preschool coop (Big Thanks go to my friend who is organizing this - you know who you are!) and I am hoping our little preschool sessions at home might help him to focus better than he did at the last one. And if it doesn't, well, he's only 2 still, and I will try to remain philisophical about it. Boys truly are different and until he is 5 or so, I will not push academics, but provide many rich learning opportunities (I hope) and trust that he will continue to soak up info the way he has so far. The kid counts to the teens, knows all shapes and colors, recognizes a handful of letters, his name and number 7 - all with next to no formal instruction. (Oops, forgot to insert a brag alert there, forgive me.)
Well, all in all, I must say things are going well. Hope everyone reading this is well too and I just want to wrap this up with a prayer request for those who are so inclined. Please pray for my close friend Anne who is dealing with preterm labor and bedrest while homeschooling her 6yo son and caring for her 19 month old daughter. Please also pray for my little brother who will be deployed very soon.

Wednesday, January 14, 2004

BTW: (Warning total bragging about the intelligence of my child ahead)
Jossy is totally figuring out the divided by 1 and 2 tables and multiplying up to the threes. She keeps asking me questions about it and has figured out that multiplying is like adding over and over and keeps using toys and milk caps and anything around to figure out problems that she poses to herself. We always compare dividing to sharing candy. I think this is so fun and cool. She gives me a lot of reassurance that even if I am not always the perfect teacher that she will keep learning. I love teaching and learning with my kids!!!
So I should maybe get off the computer, huh!

Once again I begin writing with regrets for all the days of activities that haven't been recorded. Well, we had been getting back into the swing of school everyday (M-Th) However, last Thursday Ryan had a minor procedure which caused him to miss the full day of work. It is soo hard trying to have a normal day with Ryan home. Don't get me wrong, I adore him and it is so nice to have him around, but the kids just can't get going on routines with him around doing exciting things like going out the truck. Literally, he had to go get his coffee mugs out of his truck and the kids were both clamoring to go with him! They had to get all dressed and accompany him! Therefore, we hardly made it to playgroup on time and hadn't gotten any school done yet by that time. When we got home, I had the plan that we'd do school then, but Ryan was so sore from his procedure that it was obvious that he wasn't going back to work. Since we are still a little broke from maternity leave and Christmas, I called my work to see if they could use me. Well, sure enough they could so I began my first stretch of four shifts in a row since before I had the baby. That first night back was brutal, and since I didn't get off work till nearly 1am, there was no thought of doing school the next day (fortunately it was Friday so we weren't scheduled to do school). The rest of my wknd at work was fine, I actually got out on time, still, come Monday I was too tired and discouraged from my messy house to attempt school.
I spent all day Monday cleaning and dealing with my kids who were pretty grouchy from me being away from them all weekend (they don't remember when I was gone 60 hours a week during nursing school - they are just used to having me around almost full time and get grouchy when I'm not). We read, played with Jossy's new multiplication and division math toy (she's actually getting it, I'm so impressed with her math ability) and just played together. I spent more time on the floor playing right along with them than I usually do and it was great. We played potato heads and barbie (ew).
Yesterday we got down to business with school and completed 1 full reading lesson and 1/2 a math lesson (part of the plan to get back on the same lesson). But did not get to Science. I don't know why it is so hard to fit it in. I am kinda stuck on this one lesson cuz it feels like it takes so much prep but I need to either improvise for some of the things it calls for that I don't have or skip it and get moving! Okay I just sternly told myself that so I hope I can report some progress tomorrow.
After school yesterday we went to the Children's Museum with my little brother. It was a blast as usual and the kids are getting used to it enough that they can now leave with out throwing fits (Zeff, not Jossy). It was great spending time with my bro, esp since his deployment date has been moved up and he will be leaving in about 3 weeks! He may be gone for 2 YEARS! I hate it, for my own selfish reasons: how much both kids love him and esp Z worships him. But I respect him for doing what he must and what he believes in. We will just try to spend as much time with him as poss.
Well, baby is up and the TV should go off and school begin so I will say good bye for now.
CURRENT GOALS
Work on Science - QUIT PROCRASTINATING
1 FULL hour reading time per day
2 hr max TV time per day
Return Library stuff on time. (I have to stop looking at fines as a way of supporting my local library!)

Monday, January 05, 2004

Well, I wish I was doing a better job of keeping up with the blog! We have had some nice days lately. I intended to start school back up last Monday and I think by Thursday we had finally started! Once we started though, Joss was really on a roll. I can see though, that the strides she made while we were "unschooling" have gotten her quite a bit ahead of where our curriculum is at with phonics. So I am doing my best to make sure she has enough exposure and is fully understanding things, without driving her nuts with worksheet after worksheet. It is always a tough balancing act, and I think I most often err on the side of making her do too much review, partly because I feel like our curriculum was so expensive that I want to use every last bit of it. But that is not the point of our homeschooling, I really want her to be able to move at her own pace, and if that means slowing down and finding extra reinforcement for concepts, or if it means just reviewing known concepts briefly and moving on,then that is what we'll do.
In my quest to get LA caught up to math we have only done LA lessons on Saturday Sunday and today. We are closer, only now I am also feeling like I want to get our Science caught up to the same lesson too! I had planned on ignoring their Science and doing our own thing. Unfortunately, we are not able to participate in all the extracurriculars we had planned, and I am now concerned about fitting in sufficient exposure to Science. Sooo, I declare January catch up month, and by Feb I hope to be doing our full Math, LA and Science. I still think their Music and Art are a little weak, but I will keep looking at Art and the Games and Activities section for ideas.
Today was awesome! We got off to our usual Monday AM slow start but kept plugging away. Of their own accord, the kids stayed within their TV limits. Ryan mounted the TV on the wall, and it seems to occur to them less often to ask for it, since it is above their eye level.
After some attitude on the part of my 5yo where I threatened to put her back to bed since she OBVIOUSLY had not gotten enough sleep, we finished breakfast, cleaned up the kitchen and living room and then sat down to school. (oops I just remembered we did exceed tv limits - Zeff watched a video while we did school) We zoomed through the H sounds, then Jossy drew H pictures in her Sounds and Letters book. The neat thing we did next is she used her magnet board to make a house at the direction of the TM. She dutifully did that and we talked a little about shapes in our world, but then she went on to build very elaborate and symmetrical castles. They were neat and I used our new digital camera to take pictures. I could print them out and put them in her portfolios (or more likely they will sit on the puter for a long time - maybe email them to some grandmas).
After lunch, we had a good time listening to the kids new music cd's., "No!" by They Might Be Giants and "Not for Kids Only" by Jerry Garcia and David Grisman. We also listened to their old Kindermusik CD and they had so much fun marching around, dancing together and doing the fingerplays they remembered. I got laundry folded, WOOHOO!
After another "clean-up" session and more attitude from the 5yo we got dressed and headed out to the Conservatory. It is a gorgeous glass building filled with tropical plants and warm, humid air (aaaahhh). The kids had a great time smelling the flowers, marveling at the huge ferns, looking at the koi and running up and down the sunken garden room that was still all done up with poinsetttias for the holidays. I got some great pics with the digicam and might someday even figure out how to post them on my blog - HAHAHAHAHA, that is a nice dream.
We listened to our Bible Stories CD on the way home. We are on the last of a series of 5 CDs. I got them for 4.95 plus my educator discount at Half-Price books and what a good investment! We listen to each CD over and over for a couple weeks and then move on to the next one. I listen intently too, as I have forgotten or never learned many of the bible stories on it. We have great discussions about the stories and I feel like it really supplements their religious education nicely.
Well, I am wiped out from our day, fortunately, I am back on the Flylady Flywagon (check out www.flylady.net) and My kitchen is shiny and I know what is for supper. In fact it is almost ready as it is leftover Chili and take and bake cheesy bread from Papa John's. I just have to throw in the cheesy bread and put the chili on to heat when Ryan walks in and we should be eating 10" later. Aaaahh. If anyone is reading this and is as housework challenged as I am check out Flylady. I am the world's biggest slob but my house looks half decent at the moment, thanks to her.

About Me

I am a homeschooling mom of four, 2 boys and 2 girls. I also work as a post-partum RN amd lactation counselor which is a job I love. This blog alternates between focusing on homeschooling/unschooling, parenting, my work and whatever else is going on in my life.